Vania



(No Model.)

B. K. HACKER.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 440,405. Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

/z? ,4 1 P a E .B 1 i LF LJ L l i '4 Q B f/ f f WITNESSES UNITED STATESATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN K. HACKER, OF LEXINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF TIVO-THIRDS TO MARTIN K.HACKER AND FREDERICK Ii. FREY, OF LITITZ, PENNSYL- VANIA.

AUTOMATIC RAI LWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,405, dated November11, 1890. Application filed February 13, 1890. $erial No. 340,381. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

l 3e it known that I, BENJAMIN K. HACKER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lexington, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in AutomaticRailway-Sign als, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of railway-signalsthe mechanism for displaying which is caused to operate by engagementwiththe wheels of an approaching train; and it consists in theconstruction and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully set forth inthe description, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a section of railway-track with theapparatus embodying my invention in place, showing the signals lowered.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same seen from the upper or fartherside of Fig. 1, portions of one of the rails and of the sides of two ofthe boxes being cut away. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the signalsexposed; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation seen as in Fig. 2, showing theposition of the operating mechanism when the signals are exposed,portions of two of the boxes being cut away for that purpose. 5 is avertical transverse section on the line as 91?, Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the details of the drawings, A B indicate the two rails ofa railway-track.

G O represent two double uprights or posts, one being placed on eachside of the track A B at a road-crossing or other point where it isdesirable that the approach of trains should be signaled. Pivotallysecured between each pair of posts there is a signal-arm D,earrying aweighted board or signal G g at one end.

At the bottom of and between one pair of posts there is a pulley E,mounted on a rockshaft e, and at the bottom of and between the otherpair a pulley E is mounted on a shaft e. The lower ends of the postswith the pulleys therein are housed in by boxes F to protect them fromthe weather and prevent ob- Fig.

struction to the working of the pulleys. Each of these pulleys isconnected with an eye a, secured to one of the signal-arms above thepivot, about which said arm works by cords to, and this connection ismade upon the same side of the posts 0 O. The inner ends of therock-shafts c e extend beyond the sides of the posts and through thesides of the boxes F and havewcranks I) attached thereto, connected by arod 1), passing beneath the rails of the track, so that power applied toeither pulley to revolve the same displays the signals upon both sidesof the track.

The signals themselves are preferably composed of the pivoted arm D,having a signalboard G affixed to one end and provided with a weight g.The signals are displayed by the depression of the upper ends of thearms D, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, occasioned by therevolution of the pulleys E E. Upon the return of the pulleys to theiroriginal position the sign. ls are depressed by the weights g, thevertical adjustment of the signal-arms D being limited by contact withthe caps c c of the posts O 0, thus holding said arms in a morefavorable position for being again acted on by the pulleys E E.

At a sufficient distance from the post C there is aneccentrically-mounted lever H, secured near the track on a rock-shaft h,and upon the opposite side of the post O and the opposite side of thetrack from the eccentriclever l-I there is a similar lever H, mounted ina like manner on a rock-shaft h. The levers 1-1 H are housed in boxes II, and the rock-sh afts h h pass through the sides thereof and beneaththe rails of the track, and are journaled in bearings 7L2 7L2, fastenedto blocks 6 6 secured between the ends of the crossties f f. The leversll II are of the shape of eccentrics, and are rigidly secured to therockshafts h h. This construction causes the signals to be displayedmore rapidly than they would he were levers as generally constructedused, the eccentric shape of the levers producing an acceleratingmovement in the signals as they are displayed.

The eccentric-lever H is connected with the pulley E by a line it. Thisline is fastened to the eccentric-lever below the rock-shaft, and iscarried over a friction-roller 2' and beneath a similar roller 71 to thepulley E, where it passes up the front of said pulley E, and is fastenedthereto. A line is in the same way secured to the eccentric-lever II andconnects it with the pulley E; but in this case the line passes beneathand toward the back of the pulley E.

Inside of the rails adjoining the eccentriclevers there are arms K K,keyed to the rock-shafts h h, between the jaws of which are pivotallyconnected tread-plates L L. These plates extend by the side of the adjoining rail toward the posts C C and have their ends supported indifferent ways, as may seem best. The inner end of the plate L ispivoted to a crank M on a shaft m, journaled in a bearing N on across-tie a, while the corresponding end of the plate L simply rests ona bearing 0, fastened to one of the crossties and having anupwardly-extending projection p, which serves as a guide or keeper forsaid plate.

In operating, the wheels of an approaching train engage one of thetread-plates L L and, pressing the same over toward the posts carryingthe signals, cause the same to be displayed through the aotion of theeccentriclever, the line connecting the same with the pulley in thebottom of one of the posts carrying the signals, said pulley, and thecord connecting the same with the signal-arms. When the t-readle-plate Lis lowered, the arm K is depressed thereby, as is also the crank M, andwhen the plate L is lowered the arm K is similarly depressed, the freeend of plate L sliding forward in its bearing 0. The plates L L are ofsuch length that when the front wheels of a car are passing off of aplate the rear wheels have already commenced to pass upon the same, sothat the plates are only once depressed during the passage of a train.After the train passes the signal-station it throws the arm K orK lyingbeyond it back from the direction of said station. This is done as soonas the front wheels engage the trea'dle-plates. With the plate L itisaccomplished by the direct thrust of the wheel against the crank M andwith the plate L by the weight of the wheel on said plate as it isengaged thereby. When the signals are exhibited, they assume theposition shown by the dotted lines P in Fig. 2 and the operatingmechanism that is shown in Fig. 4. The line connecting the pulleyin thebottom of the post and the eccentric-lever may be so connected with saideccentric-lever that when the signal is in the position it occupies whenlowered the part of the lever having the greatest eccentricity may beraised toward the post, as shown by the dotted lines B, Fig. 2, and whenthe signals are displayed because of the passage of a train approachingover the operating mechanism on the other side of the signals, saideccentric-lever may automatically assume the position shown by the fulllines at the same part of the drawings and take up the slack linebetween it and the signal-post. In this case the relative positions ofthe eccentric-levers and the arms K and K on the shaft to which they areattached would have to be arranged so that the latter would be engagedby the wheels of a train approaching the signals.

As will be readily understood, when the signals are displayed they againresume the position they occupy when lowered by the action of theweights g as soon as a train, has passed over the treadle-plate from thedirection in which they were raised. So, also, the eccentric-levers byreason of their construction restore the arms K K to their normalposition as soon as the tread-plates are relieved from pressure.

In my invention both signals are displayed by a single mechanism on eachside of the signal-station upon the approach of a train from eitherside, and both of the signals and the operating mechanismsautomaticallyresume their normal positions upon the passage of eachtrain. Thus operating-signals upon both sides of the track are of greatutility, as in very many cases the approaches to a track on the twosides are not in a straight line or so located with reference to eachother as to permit a signal on one side of the track to be seen fromboth directions, more particularly as the signal-posts may be set out atsuch distances from the track as may be necessary for the purpose.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railwaysignal, the combination, with the post and a signalpivoted therein, of a rock-shaft extending under the track, an arm keyedto said shaft and adapted to be engaged by the wheels of a passingtrain, an eccentric-lever rigidly secured to the rockshaft, and a lineconnected with the eccentriclever and adapted to actuate the signal,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a railwaysignal, the combination, with a post having a weightedsignal-arm and a pulley pivoted therein, and a cord connecting thepulley and arm, of the eccentric-lever mounted on a shaft extendingbeneath the track, the arm keyed to said shaft, the treadplate pivotedtherein, and a line connecting the eccentric-lever and the pulleyjournaled in the post, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a railway-signal, a post located upon each side of the track,pulleys and weighted signal-arms 'journaled in saidfposts, a rod passingbeneath the track and attached to crankson the rock-shafts on which thesaid pulleys are mounted, and a connection between the pulley andsignal-arm in each post, in combination with the eccentric-lever rigidlysecured to a shaft, an arm secured to said shaft inside of and adjoiningthe rail, the tread-plate pivoted in the arm, and a line IIO connectingthe eccentric-lever and the pulley journaled in the post on the sameside of the track, substantially as specified.

4. In a railwaysignal, the combination, with a post located upon eachside of the track, the Weighted signal-arms, and pulleys journaled inthe posts, and a rod passing beneath the track and attached to cranks onthe rockshafts on which the said pulleys are mounted, of aneccentric-lever rigidly secured on one side of the track to arock-shaft, an arm keyed to said shaft. inside of the rail, thetreadplate, a line extending from the eccentriclever to the pulley onthe post and passing BEN. K. HACKER.

Witnesses:

J ACOB I-IALBAOH, WM. R. GERHART.

